St John's Wort: Treating Depression Naturally
As the majority of people in this world, I suffer from mild depression from time to time. Although this has never been serious enough to cause any changes in my ability to function, it is enough of an interference in my life to cause me to seek some sort of therapy. Most of the time a good healthy cry or some exercise will take care of any mild depression but there are times when more is needed. Many people in this sort of situation are reluctant to try any sort of "personality altering" drug such as Prozac. There is little doubt that these drugs do wonders for people with cases of severe depression but they are a little extreme for the minor depression found in most everyday life. A natural alternative to these synthetic drugs seems greatly appealing to me. Many vitamin and pharmaceutical companies are now offering such a drug: St John's Wort.
This natural "mood-enhancer", also known as hypericum, is now being displayed all over television, the radio, and the Internet. It can be found everywhere: in the local health food store, grocery stores, across the Internet, and in some countries, the doctor's office(1) (2). But what is it? Is it really safe? How much is actually known about the effects of this "wonder cure"? The answers to these questions are not as easily answered as one might think. Although the Internet is a strong source of information it is very cluttered with advertisement sites for this drug providing little or no information besides its benefits and praises (3). Also, this drug has not yet been approved by the FDA in the United States and therefore is not prescribed. Following FDA approval, more will be known about the drug and its effects.
There is little doubt that this drug does wonders for mild depression. In 1996 research in England showed that hypericum not only worked better than the placebo but in many cases worked just as well as the tested prescription drugs (4). The National Health Institute is currently in the middle of a three-year research project concerning hypericum that should end in the year 2000. FDA approval should be following shortly thereafter. In Germany, however, hypericum is a licensed drug that is prescribed twice as often as standard antidepressants (1). Almost 200,000 prescriptions are filled every month for Jarsin, a drug containing hypericum (5).
...h Julian of Norwich about Liturgical Language." Worship 85, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 2-15. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December 3, 2013).
Treating depressive and bipolar disorders with antidepressants remains a popular option in clinical practice. Most clinicians choose the drug or class of drugs, usually selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRI's, that is most effective and best tolerated with fewer severe side effects. These drugs are beneficial because they specifically target serotonin-based areas of the brain without affecting other neurotransmitter systems. SSRI's largely replaced tricyclic antidepressants which work by blocking the absorption (reuptake) of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, thereby increasing the levels of these two neurotransmitters in the brain. Tricyclic antidepressants present severe side effects and thus are usually only used when other treatments have failed. If SSRI's or tricyclics are not effective Monoamine oxidase inhibitors may be prescribed. MAOI's, enhance tyramine to increase norepinephrine and serotonin. While taking MAOI's you must abstain from foods and alcohol that contain tyramine such as, yogurt, aged cheese, and substances such as cold medications. This is because a potential toxic reaction could occur. Additionally, other antidepressants may be utilized such as Wellbutrin (bupropion) an NDRI-
Franklin Delano Roosevelt also informs the reader on FDR’s marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt, his fifth cousin. At first Franklin and Eleanor had a strong friendship before Franklin showed a romantic interest in her. They kept their engagement a secret for a year because they did not want his mother, Sara Roosevelt, to find out. Sara was jealous of having to share Franklin and when her husband died, she became an obsessive mother. Despite their differences, FDR was determinedly taken with Eleanor. Eleanor would go away for long summers to Campobello or Hyde Park. She was there when the first polio epidemic and FDR dissuaded her from bringing any likely infection. It is assumed that this is probably the summer than Franklin began his infatuation with Lucy Mercer, his wife’s part-time social secretary. Even though FDR was young, his health was not very good. During multiple illnesses, such as typhoid fever, sinus trouble, and influenza, Eleanor would come back from Campobe...
Hypercium has become popular in the United States because of its scientifically documented antidepressant properties with much of the evidence coming from European countries . Because the FDA has not approved Hypercium for any medical purpose, there are many varying reports of its effectiveness (Cracchiolo, 1999). The said effectiveness often seems to be correlated with the purposes of the reporting organization, and therefore, any information about hypercium should be regarded with caution.
A mention of the name, Roosevelt D. Franklin to most Americans, rekindles the memories of the Second World War, the Manhattan projects and the subsequent bombing of two Japanese cities. What most of these people fail to understand is that Roosevelt's presidency was the Second World War. Turth be told, Roosevelt is one the greatest presidents the United States ever had based on his personality and the challenges he faced while in the White House. This paper discusses a number of aspects about one of the United States' celebrated presidents, Foosevelt D. Franklin, including his life history, challenges he faced, his achievements, as well as, some unique things about him and his presidency.
Catherine of Siena. The Dialogue of the Divine Providence . Trans. Algar Thorold. 1907. 25 Feb. 2004 .
During the early 1900’s the president of the United States of America was a man called Theodore Roosevelt. Although he began his term as president with the death of President McKinley, his period in the White House turned out to be one of the most progressive periods in American history. His progressive policies influenced the direction that the country would take in the twentieth century. In the following paper I will explain several of Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive polices. Specifically I will deal with his labor policies and his new nationalism policy. My thesis will be that these policies had a genuinely positive effect on America as a whole nation.
Approximately 5% of the United States' population experiences a depressive episode that requires psychopharmacological treatment; in any one year, 10-12 million Americans are affected by depression, with the condition twice as common in females than in males. It has been estimated that 15% of patients hospitalized for depression will commit suicide. These figures are incredible, so finding the root of the problem when it comes to depression is extremely important. "Alterations in serotonin metabolism may be an important factor in the etiology and treatment of depression." (7).
Antidepressant are a form of pharmacotherapy treatment developed to treat the symptoms of major depression. Antidepressants are used for many other types of conditions including anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, dysthymia, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, and substance abuse, pain syndromes, gastrointestional disorders. Antidepressants usually require several weeks to notice significant effects. There are no antidepressants or any medication that is completely free of adverse effects. This article explains that the adverse effects of antidepressant can decrease compliance and slow down the rate of recovery. It is important for one to take note of potential side-effects before choosing the best antidepressant to suit their personalized needs. Statistics show that about 28 percent of patients sto...
Henderson, L., Yue, Q. Y., Bergquist, C., Gerden, B., & Arlett, P. (2002). St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum): drug interactions and clinical outcomes. British journal of clinical pharmacology. 2002; 54(4):349-356.
This paper will discuss whether or not mentally retarded criminals should be held accountable for their actions with the punishment of execution when the crime is murder. I do not believe that mentally retarded criminals should have a blanket exemption from the death penalty because of their mental incapacity. Although all cases of murder involving a mentally retarded suspect are unique, the lives extinguished by these murderers are of no less value than those whose lives taken by mentally competent murderers. Presently, the Supreme Court of the United States upholds the execution of mentally retarded defendants and holds the belief that capital punishment does not violate the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Federal Constitution's eighth amendment (Wilson 345-346). While several states have passed laws exempting all mentally retarded defendants from execution, the Supreme Court has not changed its view on the matter (Shapiro, "Innocent, and": 43). Could it be that many states are focusing on the individual, while the Supreme Court is focusing on the crime itself? If this is the case, I have to agree with the Supreme Court. Law and justice must focus on what the person has done, not on who the person is.
One out of every 20 Americans will become depressed this year. This is obviously a very major and serious problem. St. John’s Wort’s main ingredient, hypericin, is what appears to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, although not much is known about whether or not it proves helpful in severe depression. Hypericin is the red pigment of the plant and it seems to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) and the breakdown of the brain’s neurotransmitters and is also a SRI, serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However, according to Jean Carper in Miracle Cures, “recent research finds hypericin less potent an antidepressant than the whole plant extract itself, suggesting the herb’s complex mixture of chemicals, including xanthones and flavonoids, also are critical in the plant’s pharmacological benefits”.
The first major study conducted on the matter in the United states found that St John’s wort had negligible benefits on patients with major depression with no statistically significant benefits more then those produced by a placebo (Shelton). However other studies have “proved”, not only that St. John’s Wort is more successful in treatment of patients with depression, but that It is actually similarly or more effective than some tri-cyclic prescription antidepressants (Linde). The apparent contradictions in research findings are confusing and provide little help to a patient or doctor in deciding whether to use St John’s Wort as a treatment for depression.
Mukherjee, Siddhartha. "Post-Prozac Nation: The Science and History of Treating Depression." New York Times. 19 April 2012: 3-4. Web. 6 April. 2014.
Wang PS, Lane M, Olfson M, Pincus HA, Wells KB, Kessler RC. Twelve month use of